Report card: IU offense, defense gains undone by special teams gaffes in loss to Penn State

The Hoosiers weren't able to pull out a win against the Nittany Lions.
Zach Osterman, zach.osterman@indystar.com

Indiana running back Stevie Scott (21) rushes the ball out of the backfield during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Penn State Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)(Photo: Doug McSchooler, AP)

BLOOMINGTON – Indiana rebounded from the disappointment of Iowa with a much-improved performance Saturday against No. 16 Penn State, but to the same frustrating end result. Here’s how the Hoosiers graded out from a 33-28 loss:

OFFENSE: B

The score and the performance didn’t quite reflect one another. IU outgained Penn State 554-417. The Hoosiers (4-4, 1-4 in Big Ten) clocked 32 first downs to Penn State’s 20. Stevie Scott rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Peyton Ramsey and Michael Penix combined to throw for 330 yards, and even IU’s rotation between the two seemed to work well, until Penix was forced out of the game through injury. But for all the ways Indiana battered Penn State in the box score, the Hoosiers fell short where it mattered. A fumble ended a promising drive inside the Nittany Lions’ 25, and Ramsey threw an interception. A fourth-down miscue also wasted a scoring chance. Stacking up 554 yards of offense against a ranked team is encouraging. Doing so while only scoring 28 points is frustrating.

DEFENSE: B

As with the offense, an admirable recovery from Iowa, but also not quite enough. Indiana picked Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley off once, sacked him three times and harried him plenty more. Running back Miles Sanders only managed 72 yards on the ground. Remove Juwan Johnson’s 59-yard catch-and-run, Penn State’s only massive gain in the passing game, and no Nittany Lion individually hurt IU through the air. But McSorley accounted for 327 total yards and two scores. Indiana couldn’t cash in on three Penn State fumbles before a late onside kick. It was an improved performance from the week before, but it still couldn’t land a win.

Penn State safety Jonathan Sutherland (26) knocks the ball away from Indiana wide receiver J-Shun Harris II (5) setting up a fumble recovery by Penn State during a punt return in the second half.(Photo: Doug McSchooler, AP)

SPECIAL TEAMS: D-

The onside kick recovery is the only significant redeeming quality. J-Shun Harris’ fumbled punt return set up what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. Two long Penn State kickoff returns — one to start the game and one to snatch momentum away just when Indiana managed to take a third-quarter lead — exposed a kickoff coverage unit that hasn’t been up to par most of the season. IU coach Tom Allen cares deeply about special teams. He gives special teams players scholarships, and assigned a full-time special teams coordinator this offseason. Indiana must improve here.

COACHING: C+

If last week’s performance rested at the feet of this staff, this week’s should too. Indiana responded well, after a week when it would have been fair to wonder whether things were getting out of hand. IU’s offense still needs to improve at finishing drives, and Penix’s health is a concern, but what went right Saturday shouldn’t be ignored. Defensively, Allen said postgame he was glad he didn’t have to see McSorley ever again, but it took every ounce of the Penn State signal caller’s moxie to beat IU. Penalty issues weigh this grade down, as does, ultimately, the final score.

IU’s response to Penix’s injury, finishing the drive he started to take a 21-20 lead, felt like a watershed moment Saturday. Instead, the watershed came with what happened next. Jared Smolar’s kickoff was fielded at the Penn State 1-yard line, and returned all the way to the opposite end zone. When it was ruled Johnathan Thomas had stepped out of bounds at the IU 5, McSorley simply carried the ball in on the next play. The kickoff return changed momentum for good.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (9) attempts to run the ball into the end zone during the second quarter of the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium .(Photo: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports)

McSorley. When Allen said he was glad he wouldn’t have to see McSorley, a redshirt senior, ever again, he did so out of admiration. Indiana has repeatedly bottled up prolific Penn State running backs in the past three seasons, and McSorley has done enough to beat IU each time. He did again Saturday, with 327 yards and those two scores, both on the ground. He extended plays and drives in ways maybe no other quarterback in the Big Ten can. A lesser quarterback loses to Indiana on Saturday.